


The Night Guards

by HomeForImaginaryFriends



Series: 31 Days of HQ Halloween [4]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Creatures & Monsters, Gen, Guards, Monsters, Soldiers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-04
Updated: 2019-10-04
Packaged: 2020-11-23 04:57:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20886488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HomeForImaginaryFriends/pseuds/HomeForImaginaryFriends
Summary: Once every ten years nightmare creatures come out of the shadows to spread death.  The only thing standing in their way is the Iron Wall and those who guard it.





	The Night Guards

“That is a very nice scarf you have their Captain.” Futakuchi’s tone stopped just shy of disrespect, Sasaya was glad that Kamaski was across the room making sure the younger boys all knew their places. The last thing they needed was another fight between the Co-Captain of the Guard and the man who was being groomed to take the Captains spot. But there was clearly no ill will meant, the scarf Moniwa was wrapping around his neck was quite nice. The colors were deep but vibrant, a contrast to the dark earth tones the rest of them wore. There was also an intricate pattern woven into the thick material.

“Aren’t you worried you’ll ruin it?” Koganegawa asked, nearly bowling over Futakuchi in his haste to be included in the conversation. Sasaya rotated his wrists in careful circles, watched the curved blades of his twin khopesh slash through the air as he grew familiar with the weight while testing the movement his wrist guards allowed.

“Yes,” Moniwa answered honestly, tucking the tail end of the scarf into his thick jacket. “But I was told to wear it as a token.” His pale, scarred cheeks turned red even though he had admitted to very little.

“Your lover must be rich to make such statements.” Futakuchi teased. Obara pulled a hat over his bald head, shooting a warning look at Futakuchi because Kamasaki was making his way over, the hilt of his dadao sword seen over his broad shoulder. The claw marks that had left deep scars over his jaw and mouth made him look like he was permanently scowling, which wasn’t very far off from how he appeared before he had the marks.

Moniwa didn’t try to discipline Futakuchi, they were doing the young man a favor by letting him distract himself with frivolous talk. Moniwa had barely talked about his suitor to Sasaya or Kamaski, he wouldn’t begin to confide in Futakuchi of all people, especially on this particular night.

This was the fifth time for Sasaya, Moniwa, and Kamaski but only the second time for Futakuchi and those his age. They were the Night Guards after all, sent to protect the Iron Wall during a month long siege that happened every ten years when winter came especially hard and the days were only marked by a few short hours of sunlight before night descended. Everything was frozen around them and they, the chosen few, could survive such frigid nights.

Some thought it was the first siege that was the worst but those who lived through many knew the truth. The first attack most were too young to actually fight up on the wall, the younger guards set up triage inside the forts, they ran equipment and supplies back and forth but they never participated in the actual fighting. It was the second siege that was truly the hardest, facing down creatures that they had only caught glimpses of the time before. It was easy to be young and cocky while training for years, easy to feel superior and confident in hard won abilities. But then time passed, the true winter approached closer and the real fear started to settle in.

Sasaya could see that fear taking root in those around him. There was even the smallest tremble in the unflappable Aone’s hand when he reached for his broadsword. The weapon was massive and Aone sheathed it like it weighed close to nothing.

A toll rang out and Sasaya watched the growing tension in the room. Kamasaki raised a thick eyebrow, coming to stand next to Moniwa as he always had done since they were even younger than Koganegawa. It should have been comical, the two standing beside each other. Moniwa wasn’t that much shorter than Kamaski but he was slight and wiry, pale and soft looking whereas there was nothing soft about Kamaski.

Some were confused as to why Moniwa was leader of the Night Guard but Sasaya had never questioned that. He had been there when the previous captain had killed himself in terror, when their backs had been up against the wall and living nightmares had been clawing at them. Moniwa had taken control not because he wanted to or felt entitled but because he was sick of seeing those he loved and cared for die and someone had to think of a plan of survival.

They had suffered heavy loses that siege. Sasaya had lost an eye, Kamasaki had been horribly disfigured, Moniwa had been choking on his own blood even as he shouted orders. They had burned the bodies of people they had trained for years with, had become family and then patched themselves up to fight again the next night and then the next.

Sasaya hoped that suitor bought Moniwa fifty scarves and that Kamasaki would live to see his daughter grow another year older. Their entire lives, the past five decades have always boiled down to this one month every ten years. The rest of the time was theirs to do what they pleased with.

“As you all know I am not very good with speeches,” Moniwa gave a self deprecating smile. His voice wasn’t very loud but he never had to be, when he wanted attention everyone stopped and listened. “There is no room for failure. If we fail the wall will fall and the blighted will consume everything in their path. You have been given you roles, follow them until you physically cannot anymore. There is nothing that exists outside but this moment, right here and now. You fall, you get back up and keep fighting because there is no other option. Understood?” A clear confirmation rang out before the second warning toll rang out.

Everyone moved as one to get on top of the wall. It was horrendously cold and the light hadn’t even fallen completely. Sasaya’s breath came out in white puffs. They lined themselves up on the wall and began to wait.

Other nations and kingdoms had tried to lend aid where they could to the Night Guard. Most could not stand the bitter coldness that settled deep into a person's bones, made moving near impossible and slowed their minds to a stop. But some of them were chosen, trained for years to survive in the most inhospitable weather. Others guarded the wall during the quiet times, they built it thicker and higher, buried it deep in the ground. Turrets were added, huge crossbows that spat death were evenly spaced along the top, mines that shot spikes were buried under the ground for those creatures who decided to try their hand at digging. Huge stockpiles of supplies were provided.

Most would never know the true horror of the blighted but there had been a time when the Iron Wall did not exist, where the blighted roamed and slaughtered and consumed everything in their path. They spread disease and death and cold wherever they went.

The sun began to set and Sasaya tried to convey as much calm as he possibly could. Moniwa had purposefully situated the older soldiers spaced out from each other so they could provide as much assistance to the younger ones as possible. Aone stood protectively in front of Fukiage and Sakunami, further down Futakuchi stuck close to Koganegawa. Nametsu pulled an arrow out of her quiver as the last of the light faded. Moniwa’s eyes were closed, nose buried in his scarf.

Sasaya took another deep, calming breath. The cold cut through his lungs, cleared his mind as he stared out into the creeping darkness. Pale figures moved between the barren trees, some down on all fours while others swayed and crept closer on two feet. Hairless with too-long limbs. They were too far away for much detail but Sasaya knew the horrors they presented up close.

The first night was always the worst when the number of blighted were at their highest and they kept coming in terrifying waves. Night would stretch, death would visit them and take those they claimed as family. But all that was a worry for a different Sasaya. One who planned out meals each day with quiet joy of finding new herbs and ways to mix food. The Sasaya who gathered injured animals, the one who teased Kamasaki mercilessly, who visited markets with Moniwa, who spent hours a day training not only his own body but those of other people so they might survive this night and the next 30 was gone.

Moniwa was right. There was no other option but to fight on. Sasaya picked up his weapon and prepared to do everything in his power to keep the wall from falling because that was the only thing he could do.

**Author's Note:**

> Trying to challenge myself so I'm just stealing the Inktober prompts!
> 
> October 4th, 2019 - 4. Freeze


End file.
